Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) General Secretary, Dies At 72, Tributes Pour In

Sitaram Yechury, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and former Rajya Sabha MP, has passed away today at the age of 72. Yechury had been receiving treatment at AIIMS in Delhi for an acute respiratory tract infection. He was initially admitted to the Emergency Ward on August 19 and later moved to the intensive care unit.

Yechury, who took over from Prakash Karat as the CPI(M) general secretary in 2015, was a prominent figure in Indian politics. He began his political journey under the mentorship of the late Harkishan Singh Surjeet, who played a key role in coalition governance during the National Front and United Front governments.

Yechury's political acumen was further demonstrated during the Left parties' support for the first UPA government, where he exerted significant influence on policy-making. He was also pivotal in the controversial discussions surrounding the Indo-US nuclear deal, which led to the Left parties withdrawing their support from the UPA-I government due to disagreements over the deal.

Tributes from Politicians

Rahul Gandhi expressed his condolences, saying, "Sitaram Yechury ji was a friend. A protector of the Idea of India with a deep understanding of our country. I will miss the long discussions we used to have. My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and followers in this hour of grief."

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered her condolences to Yechury's family, saying: "I knew the veteran parliamentarian that he was and his demise will be a loss for the national politics. I express my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues."

BJP leader and Union minister Kiren Rijiju posted on X: "I am deeply saddened by the tragic demise of veteran CPM leader, Sitaram Yechury ji. We had many years of working relations in the Parliament. Extending my deepest condolences to his family, colleagues and admirers."

Pinarayi Vijayan, a fellow party-member and Kerala chief minister, said his comrade was an 'unparalleled brave leader of the communist movement'. "Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that Sitaram Yechury was an unparalleled brave leader of the communist movement. I am hearing the news of Sitaram's demise with great sadness and heartbreak," he said.

Sitaram Yechury was married to journalist Seema Chishti, the editor of The Wire and former Delhi editor of BBC Hindi Service. She also served as the Resident Editor for Indian Express in Delhi. In a ScoopWhoop episode, Yechury mentioned that his wife has been the primary financial supporter of the family.